16th at Bullecourt, a cross section of the Battalion

16th at Bullecourt, a cross section of the Battalion

On the 11th of April 1917, Australian forces attacked a sector of the Hindenberg line between Bullecourt and Queant. The 16th Battalion A.I.F. was one of four Battalions of the 4th Brigade involved in the attack. The initial advance was successful with the Brigade taking it's 1st and 2nd objectives into the 2nd line German trenches albeit with many casualties. However the hold was tenuous, enfilading machine gun fire made resupply impossible and the attackers soon began to run out of ammunition. A succession of fierce counterattacks eventually drove the Australians back to their own lines, by this time 75% of the 16th were either wounded or dead. The 16th went into the fight with 20 officers and 797 other ranks, the battalion lost in this one day's fighting 17 officers and 623 other ranks, dead, wounded and prisoners of war. The losses in the 4th Brigade as a whole were similarly high, 79 officers and 2,260 other ranks. This community attempts to reconstruct the battalion as it was on the day of the battle, starting with known casualties and survivors I am steadily checking service records of men of the 16th to identify the others who were wounded or captured, it will be interesting to see how many of the reported 817 who were in the attack I can identify. Those not in the attack, whether in the Battalion HQ or not with the Battalion (ie sick, wounded or training in England) will be listed in another community as I cross check. The deadline is upon us there is sadly not enough time to complete the cross checking so this community will remain an unfinished work.

Created by: , Fife3190

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  • Born 1887

    Australian Imperial Force 1042 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "F" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 1042 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "D" Company

    Australian Imperial Force 1042 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1888

    Australian Imperial Force 6538 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6538 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1888

    Died 1918

    Australian Imperial Force 6557 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6557 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1876

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 5658 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 18th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 5658 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "A" Company

  • Born 1883

    Australian Imperial Force 6566 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1892

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6456 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6456 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1890

    Australian Imperial Force 1783 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 4th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 1783 Corporal 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1884

    Australian Imperial Force 6609 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1881

    Australian Imperial Force 6520 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6520 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1876

    Australian Imperial Force 6458 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1890

    Australian Imperial Force 6521 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6521 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Stanley Allison Douglas

    Born 1887

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 3454 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Born 1882

    Australian Imperial Force 6593 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

  • Born 1878

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6568 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 21st Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 6568 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. "A" Company

  • Born 1883

    Australian Imperial Force 5456 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 17th Reinforcements

    Australian Imperial Force 5456 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

  • Profile picture for Thomas Denteith

    Born 1874

    Died 1917

    Australian Imperial Force 6251 Private 16th Bn. Australian Infantry, A.I.F.